


Left Of Centre

by Verasteine



Category: Alles was zählt
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-27
Updated: 2011-04-27
Packaged: 2017-10-18 18:01:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/191667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Verasteine/pseuds/Verasteine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Roman wakes up and looks at the world like he expects it to sabotage him. Deniz decides this needs fixing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Left Of Centre

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lefaym](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lefaym/gifts).



> Thanks to [](http://caladria.livejournal.com/profile)[**caladria**](http://caladria.livejournal.com/) for the last minute read through.

Deniz can tell it's one of those days before he hits the shower. Roman rolls out of bed with a resigned sigh, looking critically out the window as if he's expecting it to rain. The sky is overcast, a uniform grey typical for autumn, and Deniz watches as Roman looks out and frowns.

Roman glances over his shoulder. "You want to shower first?"

Deniz shakes his head, gesturing. "Go ahead."

Roman nods and heads to the closet, smiling briefly at him. The smile is just a tad off, a little left of centre, and it unsettles Deniz, makes him want to reach out and pull his boyfriend back into bed to kiss him senseless.

Roman would complain and it would make them both late for work, so he doesn't. "Hey," he says instead, as Roman is about to head to the bathroom.

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

Roman smiles, genuinely this time. "I love you more."

Deniz blows him a kiss and lets him go.

\--

He has to form a plan of attack, he realises while in the shower. They both have to work; he'd promised to help Marian out, and Roman has training, but if Deniz doesn't find some way to cheer him up during the day he'll have really sunk into this funk by the time he comes home at night.

There has to be at least one surprise visit. And there should be sushi for dinner tonight. Maybe one of those romantic films... He'll have to be careful in his film selection, because he shouldn't get anything with too tragic an ending or dying people in it, not tonight. He hasn't got a clue, so that means chatting up the girl at the movie rental place to get advice.

He plans his day as he washes his hair, schedules the time he'll need to hit the supermarket, film rental place, and sushi restaurant as he shaves, and heads cheerfully out the bathroom door to find Roman staring morosely into his flakes.

Deniz goes over, tips his head up and kisses him. "Morning."

"Hey." Roman gives him an attempt at a smile and goes back to staring at his breakfast.

"What's wrong?" Deniz tries as he shakes cereal into his own bowl and adds a liberal amount of milk in an attempt to teach the flakes to swim.

Roman looks up. "What? Nothing."

 _Tell someone who'll believe it_ , Deniz thinks, but knows from experience that picking a fight over this is a really bad idea. He munches a spoonful of flakes. "Do you have training all day?"

"Hmm? Yes, till five. And then a meeting with management after that."

Deniz nods. "Okay. You'll be home for dinner, though?"

"Yes." Roman swallows one last mouthful of breakfast and gets up to put the bowl in the sink. "Now, though, I have to go. See you tonight."

Deniz snags hold of his shirt as he passes and holds him back, reaching up to pull Roman's head down and give him a proper kiss. He can feel Roman melt into it briefly, then he pulls away again.

"I've really got to go."

"I know," Deniz replies. "See you tonight."

\--

Somehow, he's managed to forget that their little corner of Essen is also gossip central; by noon, he's fielding a call from Annette.

"Katja's worried," she starts, "about Roman. He's not himself today, and I was thinking--"

Deniz smiles at the concern in her voice. "Annette, I know. I'm taking care of it."

"Really? Because if you need some help, I can--"

"It's okay. Although... are you with Katja?"

"Ye-es..." There's a rustling on the other end, and then Katja says, "Deniz? I'm worried about Roman, he--"

"I know," he repeats, "I'm taking care of it. Can you tell me if you have any breaks this afternoon?"

"At three," she answers promptly, "but, Deniz--"

"Don't worry about it."

There's a brief exchange of muffled voices on the other end, and then Annette comes on the line again. "Deniz, you know, he gets like this sometimes, and--"

"Annette."

"Yes, okay, I know, you're his boyfriend, I shouldn't interfere, I just thought--"

Deniz takes the phone away from his ear, making a brief five-minutes gesture at his father, and heads out across the square. Annette is still talking when he gets there, and does a comical double take when she sees him, then stares at the phone. Katja takes it from her hand, laughing, and terminates the call.

"Thank you both," Deniz says, looking from one to the other. "I promise I will take good care of him."

Annette leans in and kisses his cheek, then rubs her lipstick off with her thumb. Katja throws her arms around him, and he hugs her back.

\--

It's five to three when Deniz saunters into the ice rink. Roman is on the ice, gesturing as he's explaining something to Katja, who's nodding along. Roman turns to skate back to the boarding while Katja pushes off, gathering speed for a jump.

Deniz watches as she skates, pushing off gracefully and landing steadily on her feet. She's well balanced but seems to need a lot of strength on the push off, and he's not surprised when Roman says, "That'll do, but next time, I want to see you take your whole body along into the jump. Pull your shoulder up, and--"

He breaks off when Katja spots Deniz and waves, and looks over his shoulder. Deniz gives him a wide smile.

"What are you doing here?"

Deniz ignores his tone and simply walks over to kiss him. "Hello."

"Hi..." Roman looks from him to Katja with suspicion in his gaze. "Did you know we were about to have a break?"

"No," Deniz lies, and gives him his most innocent look. "Are you?"

Roman punches his arm and Deniz pretends to look hurt. Katja is smiling at them both. "I'm going to go shower. I'll see you in half an hour in the ballet room, right?"

Roman nods. "Yes."

They watch her go, and Deniz leans in to steal another kiss. "How's your day been?"

"It's okay." Roman still has that absent look in his eyes that Deniz doesn't like at all. "You?"

Deniz wraps his arms around Roman and pulls him back, making Roman slide across the ice. He doesn't resist, and Deniz kisses his hair. "It's been good."

He can feel Roman relax in his arms, until he says, "I should go change."

"Wait a while," Deniz coaxes. "Stay here."

"Hmm."

They stay like that for a few minutes, until Roman becomes restless. Deniz knows he can't keep him there, can't make him talk, and that's okay, he doesn't have to. But he'll be damned if he lets Roman go through this without knowing that he's loved. And that Deniz is noticing.

He lets him go. "Hey."

Roman looks up at him from where he's untying his skates. Deniz crouches down to kiss him.

"I love you."

Roman smiles, tracing a finger over Deniz's face and bumping their noses together. "You're sweet."

\--

He goes back to help out in the Sieben, but at five he leaves in spite of the growing crowd and his father's mock stern admonishments. He hits the video rental first, where he agonises between getting _Notting Hill_ , which he knows will bore him to death but Roman loves, and _Pleasantville_ , which the girl at the counter recommends as he gets her talking.

"Go with that one, you can't go wrong," she says, smiling. "Promise."

Deniz weighs the boxes in his hands. "Is there death in it? Anyone miserable? It ends well, right?"

"No, it's a happy film," she assures him. "Your boyfriend will love it."

Deniz blushes a little when he realises he's been that transparent. "I'll take them both."

She books them both on his card and he pays up, hitting the supermarket next for snacks. His final stop is the sushi place, and then he heads back home.

\--

The flat is quiet and it's clear Roman isn't home yet. Deniz parks the sushi in the fridge and takes the time to tidy up a bit. He does the dishes, even, and wipes down the counters, then sits down to wait.

An hour later, he's still waiting.

He dials Roman's phone, which is turned off and goes to voicemail. "Hey, it's me, was hoping you'd be home by now. I'm waiting for you, call me, yeah?"

He hangs up and sags down on the couch, flipping on the television.

\--

It's nearing eight when his mobile rings, jerking him out of sluggish concentration on a television programme he neither likes nor really watches. He makes a grab for the phone. "Roman?"

"Hey. I'm on my way home, should I pick something up or have you eaten?"

"No, I-- I've got food," he manages, rubbing a hand over his face to wake himself. "Just come home, yeah?"

"I'm on my way," Roman replies, and hangs up.

Deniz turns off the television and retrieves the sushi from the fridge, setting it out on the dinner table. He hesitates a few seconds, not wanting to create too much of an atmosphere and put pressure on either of them, but finally lights a few tea lights and pours them both a glass of sparkling apple juice.

It's not long after he's done that Roman's key turns in the lock, and he comes in, sports bag slung over his shoulder and an expression on his face that is a mix of exhaustion and exasperation. He stops short two steps into the flat, absentmindedly pushing the door shut behind himself. "What did I forget?"

Deniz gets up. "Nothing."

Roman lets his bag slide to the floor and takes off his coat, eyeing the table dubiously. "Oh-kay."

"Come and eat."

Roman puts away his coat and looks back to him and at the dinner table. "Deniz, not that I don't appreciate this, but... I'm not in the mood, I'm just... I'm tired and I really would just like to eat and go to bed."

Deniz swallows the slight dent in his pride, and nods. "Okay." On impulse, he reaches out and takes Roman's hand. They stand there for a moment, looking at each other. Deniz weighs a few options in his head and finally just talks. "This is for you," he says, holding Roman's gaze. "Whatever you want."

Roman manages a lopsided smile. "Okay. Thank you."

\--

It's after dinner that Roman spots the dvds lying on the table while Deniz is clearing the dishes away. "Did you get these for tonight?"

Deniz glances up. "Yes." He straightens. "But we don't have to-- I mean, I know you're tired and--"

He's cut off when Roman comes over and kisses him. "What did I do to earn this?"

"Nothing. You're just... you." Deniz runs his fingers through Roman's hair. "And I noticed you were a bit down, so I thought..."

He recognises the expression on Roman's face, that slightly haunted look he gets when he can't believe someone has done something without further motivation, just for him. "I love you," Roman says, and his voice is shaky around the edges.

"And I love _you_ ," Deniz replies, and kisses him. He lets himself get lost in the kiss, in the feeling of holding Roman close and safe, in the way it feels to have everything he needs right here.

When they come apart, Roman takes his hand and tugs him along to the bedroom. Deniz follows without hesitation. Roman strips off his clothes, getting ready for bed, then pauses. "Deniz, I..."

Roman is looking at him, expression doubtful and tinged with a little sadness. Deniz puts his hands on his shoulders and looks him in the eye. "Hey. You don't have to explain anything, okay? Not to me."

Roman nods. "Some days, I just..."

"I know." Deniz squeezes his shoulders. "It's okay."

Roman smiles and puts his hands over Deniz's before pulling away and crawling into bed.

Deniz sits on the edge and leans over to kiss his hair. "Want me to stay?"

"Hmm."

Deniz simply stretches out and envelopes Roman and the duvet in a one armed embrace. Roman snuggles contentedly, and Deniz smiles.

Mission accomplished.

\--  
 _finis._


End file.
